abercrombie organizational behavior
TRANSCRIPT
IMPROVING DIVERSITY
President: Emily Noselotl, Vice President: Eun Young Kim, Secretary: Stevie Musil, Marketing Manager: Carmen Li, H/R: Min Seok Park
AGENDA I. Introductions
I. Introduce Team II. Company History
II. What is StereotypingI. Text Concepts
III. Scenario IV. Company Controversies
I. Consumer ControversiesII. Employee Controversies
V. Articles I. Dress CodeII. Discrimination III. Economic Facts of Diversity
VI. Management SolutionsVII. Conclusion
I. Call to Action
Abercrombie & Fitch, also known as A&F, is an American retailer that focuses on casual wear for young consumers. The company operates three offshoot brands ; Abercrombie kids, Hollister Co, and Gilly Hicks.
WHAT IS STEREOTYPING
Stereotyping is attributing a specific trait to a person based
on the characteristics of the group to which a person
belongs.
• Teamwork Skills• You can accomplish
more if you take advantage of the unique
skills and abilities of others
• All people are unique and perceive the world
differently.
TEXT CONCEPTS
SCENARIO• In the past year Abercrombie
& Fitch has suffered a drop in sales and popularity due to the many controversies regarding discrimination and lack of diversity surrounding the company.
COMPANY CONTROVERSIES
CONSUMER CONTROVERSIES
• Targeting exclusively to the “cool kids” • CEO Michael Jeffries
states in an interview he only wants “good looking” and thin people wearing A&F • Doesn’t offer clothing
above a large and size 10 in bottoms
EMPLOYEE CONTROVERSIES
• Hiring employees based on their appearance• Allegedly placing less
attractive employees in the back/stock room• Sued for forcing an
employee with a prosthetic arm to only work in the stock room.• Refers to their sales
associates as “models”
ARTICLES
Abercrombie’s Dress Code has caused problems with their employees
ARTICLE 1
ARTICLE 2
ARTICLE 3
Research shows that diversity in a company leads to greater economic strength and a more successful
SOLUTIONS
SOLUTIONS: PRESIDENT
• Diversify board members • Of the 16 board members
only five are women• All members are over the
age of 54 to 77
• Create Quarterly Report
SOLUTION: VICE PRESIDENT
❖ Provide diversity training in the workplace
❖ Make the recruiting process more transparent.
❖ Offer benefits for diversity hiring and PR it!
12 Ethical Questions Companies Should Ask When Making Decisions
1. Is it Legal?2. How do I feel about this? Am I feeling unusually anxious? Am I fearful?3. Will any rules, policies, or regulations be violated?4. Is the proposed action consistent with past practice?5. Does my conscience bother me?6. How would I feel if the details of this situation appeared on the front page of the
local news?7. Does this situation require that I lie about the process or the results?8. Do I consider this to be an extraordinary situation that demands an unusual
response?9. Am I acting fairly? Would I want to be treated this way>10.Would I be able to discuss the proposed situation or action with my immediate
supervisor? My family? My company’s clients? The president of the company?11.If a close friend of mine took this action, how would I feel?12.Will I have to hide or keep my actions secret? Has someone warned me to to
disclose my actions to anyone?
SOLUTION: SECRETARY
SOLUTION : HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER
• “Diversity and inclusion are key to our organization’s success. We are determined to have a diverse culture, throughout our organization, that benefits from the perspective of each individual”. (Mike Jeffries, Chairman & CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch.
• Definition of Diversity and Inclusion According to Abercrombie & Fitch:• Diversity: “Is about who you are as an individual – what’s seen
and unseen. It also includes the rich differences between individuals such as race, gender, family, sexual orientation, work experience, physical ability, and religion.
• Inclusion: “Is about embracing those differences, and thoughtfully and enthusiastically enabling those differences to equally contribute”
• Diversity Education Program
CONCLUSION
CALL TO ACTION • Provide perspective on
how to attract a more diverse customer, associate and shareholder.
• Making A&F an inclusive environment that values the differences of its associates and customers.
• Diversity and Inclusion yield creativity and innovation.
• Embracing diverse people, ideas, and experience.
CITATIONS• “Diversity & Inclusion.” Abercrombie & Fitch Careers. Web.
21 May 2014• Lutz, Ashley. "13 Reasons Why People Hate Abercrombie &
Fitch." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 22 Aug. 2013. Web.
• Kerby, Sophia, and Crosby Burns. "The Top 10 Economic Facts of Diversity in the Workplace." American Progress. Center for American Progress, 12 July 2012. Web.
• Bhasin, Kim. "Abercrombie Dress Code Enables Discrimination, Insiders Say." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 18 Sept. 2013. Web.
• Vandeveer, Rodney C., Meneffe, Michael L. Human Behavior in Organizations, 2nd ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2010.